1968–69 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 1968–69 NBA season was the Lakers' 21st season in the NBA and ninth season in Los Angeles. This season saw the Lakers acquire Wilt Chamberlain from the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade that sent Jerry Chambers, Archie Clark, and Darrall Imhoff to the 76ers. The team also lost future star Gail Goodrich to the Phoenix Suns via expansion draft.
| 1968–69 Los Angeles Lakers season | |
|---|---|
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Butch van Breda Kolff |
| General manager | Fred Schaus |
| Owner(s) | Jack Kent Cooke |
| Arena | The Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 55–27 (.671) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Western) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Finals (lost to Celtics 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KTLA |
| Radio | KNX |
The Lakers would make it to the NBA Finals, but would lose to the Boston Celtics in seven games despite being the heavy favorites. This marked the Lakers' seventh consecutive defeat to the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Jerry West, who averaged nearly 38 points per game in the Finals, became the inaugural recipient of the Finals Most Valuable Player award. To date he is the only player in NBA history to win the award as a member of the losing team.